Downtown property owners ask deletion of proposed road

by Jeff Switzer
WOODINVILLE--Following a public hearing two weeks ago at which local property owners and businesspeople spoke out against the city's proposed road grid ordinance, the Knolls, the Spadys, and Charlie Puzzo reached an agreement with retail center developer TRF Pacific and asked the council on Apr. 1 to delete 135/136th Avenue NE from the road grid.
The proposed road, which is part of a comprehensive road grid ordinance, shows low traffic volumes designed for local access to the properties rather than downtown circulation.
The Knolls (Knoll Lumber), the Spadys (Doug's Boats), and Charlie Puzzo worked out an agreement in which TRF-Pacific will grant the three property owners easements for access as they develop, instead of a full road grid as proposed by the city.
TRF-Pacific has proposed a downtown shopping village which includes Target, Top Foods, and a Cineplex Odeon 14-screen cinema.
City staff support the roads proposed within the TRF-Pacific site, but are still considering whether to delete135/136th Avenue NE, in addition to the existing 136th Avenue NE alignment.
"The TRF-Pacific project is dead if 136th remains," Brent Carson, the attorney representing TRF, told the council. "It would have a devastating effect on our property."
A letter is expected to be presented at the Apr. 8 council meeting urging the council to adopt the road grid proposed by TRF-Pacific and deleting 135/136 Avenue NE.